


How not to hate Mondays

by flarrow_huntbastian



Series: Olivary Hurt/Comfort [9]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Oliver, Sick Barry Allen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 03:16:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18044444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flarrow_huntbastian/pseuds/flarrow_huntbastian
Summary: Barry Allen was fourteen when it first happened.  He woke up confused about where he was and when he walked downstairs it didn’t feel like he was in control.  It felt like someone was controlling him, or like he wasn’t himself at all.  He went to school that day still feeling the same way and it was around morning break he started hearing it.  It was like a voice in the back of his head calling his name, telling him to wake up.





	How not to hate Mondays

 

Barry Allen was fourteen when it first happened.  He woke up confused about where he was and when he walked downstairs it didn’t feel like he was in control.  It felt like someone was controlling him, or like he wasn’t himself at all.  He went to school that day still feeling the same way and it was around morning break he started hearing it.  It was like a voice in the back of his head calling his name, telling him to wake up.

He made it through the rest of the day with the same feeling and voice in his head.  He just ignored the feelings and went by on autopilot.  When he made it home he just sat upstairs doing his homework, he spoke to Iris a little but didn’t really interact with anyone much.  It wasn’t until dinner that night that Joe asked him about it.

Barry, Iris and Joe were sat at the dinner table when Joe turned to Iris.  “Hey Iris, would you mind letting Barry and I talk for a minute?”

Barry was confused but allowed Iris to leave.

“Barry, are you feeling okay?” Joe asked concerned for his son,

“I… uh… yeah…” Barry replied unsurely,

“It’s okay Bear, you can tell me anything?”  Joe asked knowing that Barry wasn’t quite being honest.

“I just, I...  I think I’m coming down with something…”  Barry replied.

Joe didn’t think it was quite the truth but he knew he couldn’t force Barry into talking.  Also, Barry didn’t look quite right so Joe decided to go with it.

“Okay, why don’t you have a lie in tomorrow and I’ll tell the school you’re sick,”  Joe suggested.

“Are you sure?”  Barry replied, “I don’t think I’m bad enough to miss school.”  
“I know Barry but I can that you’re not okay.  Even if you’re not sick I want to keep an eye on it.”  Joe explained worriedly for his son.

 

The next day Barry was fine.  He still had time off but he was fine.  Barry spent the next few weeks happy, nothing was wrong.  It wasn’t until Barry was 17 that something happened again. 

He woke up one morning feeling on edge.  Like his whole body was about to launch into a panic attack.  Barry walked downstairs with hair slightly more dishevelled than usual and he was looking a little pale.

“You okay Bare?”  Joe asked concerned,

“Y… y… yeah…” Stuttered Barry,

“Take a seat son,” Joe commanded guiding Barry to the sofa.

Barry sat down leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.  He began chewing on the sleeve of his hoodie.  It wasn’t the first time Barry had had a panic attack but Barry felt that this one was different, it was more intense.

Barry felt his breathing picking up slightly.  The next thing Barry knew, Joe thrust a paper bag in front of him.  Barry shakily took it holding it to his mouth.

“You need to breathe son,”  Joe said as he put one hand over Barry’s on the bag to help steady it.  He placed his other hand on Barry’s back rubbing soothing circles gently.  “It’s okay Bear…”

When Barry calmed down a bit Joe spoke up again, “You’re doing so well Bear…”  After another few minutes, Joe said, “You’re not going to school today.  I’ll phone the school once you’re more stable.”

Joe sat and continued to soothe Barry.  He rubbed Barry’s back in circular motions.  Soon Joe felt Barry start shaking with sobs as he started to cry.

“It’s okay son…” 

Once Barry’s tears had died down he went and changed into some sweats and was sat on the sofa when Joe came into the room.

“I spoke to school and they said that they understand the circumstances.” Joe started whilst sitting down next to Barry on the sofa.  “But I called Captain Singh and he said he wishes he could let me off but I’m needed in a court case this afternoon.  But I don’t want to leave you here alone.”  
“It’s fine Joe…” Barry said with tears still falling. “I’ll go to school… Or I’ll stay home alone.”  
“No Bare.  You’re not going in… I’ve called Mr Queen to see if he or his wife could check in.  They said their son could come over.”  
“Their son?” Barry asked confused.

“Yes… They have a son a few years older than you.  He’s home for a while and so said he’d be happy to spend the day here with you.”

Barry nodded and soon Joe and Iris had left and Barry was waiting for Mr and Mrs Queen’s son to arrive.

 

Barry was in a daze; his eyesight was slipping in and out of focus.  He couldn’t feel his body and his mind was all… fuzzy?  He was terrified.  He didn’t know how to deal with what he was feeling… He was sat in with his head in his hands and yet he felt like he couldn’t feel his hands.

He barely felt it when someone put a hand on his back rubbing gently.  He tried to turn to look at the person but he couldn’t.  He felt too dizzy to move. 

“Just breathe…”  A voice off to the side spoke gently.

Barry felt the sofa dip next to him.  The hand on his back started rubbing a little harder.

“It’s okay…”  The voice repeated firmly.

Barry felt the dizziness overcome him quickly.  He slumped to the size barely conscious but trying so hard to hold on; to stay awake.  He didn’t realise that he’d fallen into the person next to him until he felt an arm hold him close.

“It’s okay, just let go… it’ll be over soon…” The voice said gently.

Barry felt the darkness take him. 

 

He woke up lying on the sofa with a blanket over him.  There was a pillow behind his head and when he rolled over he saw a glass of water on the side.  He also noticed that the TV was now on and there was a documentary playing.

Barry slowly sat up only to be pushed back down by strong hands.

“Hey… hey… it’s okay…”  Said the owner of the two hands,

Barry looked confused as a man came into view.

“You fainted.  You were stuck in a pretty bad anxiety attack.  You were fading in and out of consciousness until I told you to relax.”  He explained, “You may be feeling a little unsteady for a while.  As instructed by Joe here are your anxiety meds and something for the weakness.” He said as he handed Barry the six pills from the table, “And from experience and research I got you Gatorade to help with the dizziness and the energy loss.”  He finished before getting the bottle from the kitchen.

“I… I’m sorry.”  
“Hey no…” He said sitting down on the side of the couch by Barry’s legs.  “It’s okay.  You don’t need to apologise to me.  You’re going through something and I just want to help you”.

“Thank you,”  Barry muttered quietly,   
“What’s wrong?”  The man asked gently.

“I just… it’s embarrassing.  I mean, I don’t even know your name…”  
Before Barry could say anything else the man replied, “Oliver… my name is Oliver.  And it’s not embarrassing.  It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.  I’m glad I was here otherwise you’d have been going through that alone.  There’s nothing embarrassing about an anxiety attack, I know how scary they can be and it’s okay.”  
Oliver gently helped Barry sit up so he could take the medication.

“How are you feeling now?”  Oliver asked after a few minutes,

“I…”  Barry started but the words died on his lips.

“Please, be honest with me,” Oliver urged,

“Bad…”  Barry muttered very quietly.

“What sort of bad?”  Oliver asked gently moving closer to Barry so he could make eye contact with Barry whilst still being close enough to comfort Barry if he needed to.

“My heart feels like its fluttering and my chest hurts.  I can’t quite get my head straight and… and I feel like I’m on the edge like I could launch into another attack at any second.”

As Barry went on Oliver found the speed at which he spoke was increasing rapidly.  He knew he’d have to intervene soon if Barry continued like this.

“Hey… it’s okay…”  Oliver said placing a hand on Barry’s back to rub soothing circles as he had done earlier.  “I’m not judging you I just want to help you.”

Barry and Oliver sat like that in a comfortable silence for a while before Barry yawned.

“Are you tired?”  Oliver asked knowing the answer.

Barry nodded shyly.

“Why don’t you go to sleep for a while, I’ll be right here when you wake up,” Oliver suggested,

Barry gave Oliver an unsure look.

“I promise I’m not going anywhere”.

Barry gave Oliver a small smile before Oliver helped him to lie down again.  Oliver moved to the floor next to the sofa.  He was sat so one side of his body was leaning against the sofa and he was looking at Barry.

Barry’s eyes fluttered furiously as he tried to stay awake.  Oliver slowly moved his hand to stroke Barry’s hair gently.  Barry leaned into Oliver’s touch and relaxed visibly.

“I’ll be right here…”  Oliver said once more as Barry’s eyes slipped closed and the sleep overcame him.


End file.
